Cyclists have been caught on camera simultaneously using the road and their mobile phones - but is it against the law?

If you are caught talking on a mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle you could land you with six penalty points and a £200 fine.

But the rules are a little more complex for a cyclist.

Footage shows Teesside cyclists who seem more preoccupied with their phones than the road in front of them.

One of the riders manages to carry on with both hands on his mobile phone.

But it is not actually illegal to use your phone while on your bike.

According to website askthe.police.uk : “Using a hand held mobile phone whilst cycling is not illegal per se.

“However, you could commit an offence of careless cycling.

“It is also not advisable for the obvious safety reasons.

“For those people using electrically assisted pedal cycles it depends on the cycle itself as to whether it is illegal or not.”

A cyclist with both hands on his mobile while riding (Image: The Gazette)

Cyclists could face a maximum fine of £1,000 if found guilty of careless or inconsiderate cycling.

Talking on a mobile phone while driving was made an offence in 2003 and recent crackdowns have been held by police to combat the issue.

Fresh calls to change the law on cyclists who may be riding dangerously came last week as 20-year-old Charlie Alliston was jailed for 18 months for killing a female pedestrian while on his bike in east London.

Alliston collided with Kim Briggs while on his bike, which had no front brakes, and the mother-of-two suffered fatal head injuries.

The February 12 incident sparked calls for a change in the law, namely to make “causing death by dangerous cycling” an offence.

Alliston was charged with “wanton or furious driving”, a law dating back to the Victorian era that originally applied to horse drawn carriages.